Superior Days For Righteous
Deeds

Shaykh Abdullah Ibn Abdur-Rahman al-JibreenThe Superiority And Virtue Of
The First Ten Days Of The Month Of Zulhijjah
And The Deeds Legislated In These Days
from the Gulf Times March 1999

Verily, the praise
belongs to Allah, the Most High, and may the Blessings of Allah and
Peace be upon His Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions,
all of them. It is narrated from Ibn Abbaas (RAA) that the Prophet (PBUH)
of said: "There are no days in which righteous deeds done in them
are more beloved to Allah than these days, ie the ten days (of Zul-Hijjah).
They said: O Messenger of Allah, not even Jihaad in the path of
Allah? He said: Not even Jihaad in the Path of Allah, the Most High,
except if a man goes out (for Jihaad) with his self and his wealth,
then he doesn't return with anything from that."
(Al-Bukhaaree, Abu Daawood and others. The exact wording is that of
Abu Daawood)

It is narrated from
Ibn Umar that the Prophet Muhammad (Blessings of Allah and Peace be
upon him) said:

"There aren't any
days greater, nor any days in which deeds done in them are more
beloved to Allah, the Most High, than these ten days (of Zul-Hijjah).
So, increase in them the saying of Tahleel (La Ilaaha illa Allah),
and Takbeer (Allah Akbar) and Tahmeed (al-Hamdu li-llah)" [Musnad
Imaam Ahmad]

The Types of Deeds
in These Ten Days:

First: The
performance of Haj and Umrah, and these are the best of deeds
that may be done. And what indicates their superiority are a number
of Ahaadith, one of which is the saying of the Prophet (PBUH).

Performance of
Umrah is an expiation of the sins committed between it and the
previous Umrah, and the reward of the Haj which is accepted by
Allah, the Most High, is nothing but Paradise. (Al-Bukhaaree and
Muslim)

Second: Fasting
during these days - as many of them as may be easy (for one to
fast); especially the Day of Arafah. There is no doubt that the act
of fasting is one of the best deeds, and it is from what Allah, the
Most High, has chosen for himself, as in the Hadith Qudsee: Fasting
is for Me, and it is I who give reward for it. Verily, someone gives
up his sexual passion, his food and his drink for My sake..." (Al-Bukhaaree,
Muslim, Maalik, at-Tirmidhee, Nasaa'ee and Ibn Maajah)

Also, from Abu
Sa'eed al-Khudree who said that the Messenger of Allah said: No
servant (of Allah, the Most High) fasts one day in the Path of
Allah, except that Allah, the Most High, removes his face from the
Fire because of it (the distance of travelling) seventy years. (Al-Bukhaaree
and Muslim)

From Abu Qatadah
that the Prophet said: Fasting the Day of Arafah will be credited
with Allah by forgiving one's sins of the previous year and the
following year. (Muslim)

Third:
At-Takbeer (Allah Akbar) and adh-Dhikr (the remembrance of Allah
through different words of praise and glorification) in these (ten)
days, Allah said "And mention the name of Allah on the appointed
days"(12:28).

This has been
explained (by some) to mean the ten days (of Zul-Hijjah), and the
scholars consider it desirable to increase adh-Dhikr in these days,
based upon the hadith of Ibn Umar narrated by Ahmad, which contains
the words:

... so increase in
these days the Tahleel and Takbeer and Tahmeed...

It is reported
about Ibn Umar and Abu Hurairah that: the two of them used to go out
to the market place during the ten days (of Zul-Hijjah) saying:
Allahu Akbar, causing the people also to say it. (Al-Bukhaaree)

Ishaaq narrates
from the scholars of the Taabi'een that in these ten days they used
to say:

It is a beloved act
to raise the voice when saying the Takbeer in the markets, the
houses, the streets, the Masjids and other places, because of the
saying of Allah, the Most High, in Surah al-Hajj, verse 37: "...
that you may magnify Allah for His Guidance to you"

The saying of
Takbeer in congregation, ie everyone pronouncing the Takbeer with
one voice, is not permissible since this has not been transmitted
(to us) from the early generations of the Sahabah and those who
followed their ways. Verily, the Sunnah is for everyone to say the
Takbeer individually. And this is (generally) applicable to Dhikr
and supplications, except if the person doesn't know what to say. In
that case he may repeat after someone else until he learns (the
words to be said). It is also permissible to make Dhikr with all the
different wording of Takbeer and Tahmeed and Tasbeeh, and the rest
of the Islamic legislated supplications (from the Qur'an and
Sunnah).

Fourth: At-Tawbah
(repentance) and abstaining from disobedience and all types of sins,
since forgiveneand mercyare the results of deeds. Disobedience is
the cause of being far away (from Allah, the Most High) and
repulsion, while obedience is the cause of being near (to Allah,
Most High) and His love. In the hadith of Abu Hurairah he said that
the Prophet said: Verily Allah has a sense of Ghaira, and Allah's
sense of ghaira is provoked when a person does that which Allah has
prohibited. (Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim)

Fifth: Doing
plenty of voluntary (nafl) righteous deeds of worship like
Prayer, Charity, Jihaad, reading the Qur'an, Commanding what is Good
and Forbidding what is Evil, and other such deeds.

Verily, these are
amongst the deeds that are multiplied in these days. It is during
these days that even deeds that are less preferred, are superior and
more beloved to Allah than superior deeds done at other times.
(These deeds are superior) even to al-Jihaad - which is one of the
most superior of all deeds - except in the case of one whose horse
is killed and his blood is spilled (loss of life in Jihaad).

Sixth: It is
legislated in these days to make at-Takbeer al-Mutlaq at all times
of night and day until the time of the Eid Prayer. Also, at-Takbeer
al-Muqayyad is legislated, and it is done after the (five)
obligatory prayers that are performed in congregation. This begins
from Dawn (Fajr) on the Day of Arafah (the 9th of Zul-Hijjah) for
those not performing Haj, and from Noon (Zhur) on the Day of
Sacrifice (10th of Zul-Hijjah) for those performing Haj (pilgrims);
and it continues until Asr prayer on the last day of the days of
Tash-reeq (13th of Zul-Hijjah).

Seventh: The
slaughtering of a sacrificial animal (Adhiyah) is also legislated
for the Day of Sacrifice (10th) and the Days of Tashreeq (11th, 12th
and 13th). This is the Sunnah of our father Ibraaheem - when Allah,
the Most High, redeemed Ibraaheem's son by the great sacrifice (of
an animal in his place). It is authentically reported that The
Prophet Muhammad slaughtered (sacrificed) two horned rams, black and
white in colour, and said Takbeer (Allahu Akbar), and placed his
foot on their sides (while slaughtering them). (Al-Bukhaaree and
Muslim)

Eighth:
Offering animal as Udhyia It has been narrated from Umm Salamah (may
Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet said: If you see the
Hilal (new moon) of Zul-Hijjah, and any one of you wants to make a
sacrifice, then he should not cut (anything) from his hair and his
nails. (Muslim and others) . And in one narration, he said: .Then he
should not cut (anything) from his hair, nor from his nails, until
he performs the sacrifice. Perhaps this is because of the similarity
with the one who is bringing a sacrificial animal for slaughter (in
Haj). As Allah, the Most High, said: And do not shave your heads
until the Hady (sacrifice) reaches the place of sacrifice...

The apparent
meaning of this prohibition is that it is particularly for the one
whom the sacrifice is for, and does not include the wife or
children, unless there is an individual sacrifice for one of them.
There is no harm in washing the head, or scratching it, even if
hairs may fall out.

Ninth: It is
incumbent for the Muslim (who is not performing Haj) to make every
effort to perform the Eid Prayer wherever it is performed, and to be
present for the Khutbah and benefit.

He must know the
wisdom behind the legislation of this Eid (celebration). It is a day
of thankfulness and performing deeds of righteousness. So, he must
not make it a day of wildness, pride and vanity. He should not make
it a season for disobedience and increase in the forbidden things
like music and singing, uncontrolled amusement, intoxicants and the
like - those things which could cause the cancellation of the good
deeds done in these days (of Zul-Hijjah).

Tenth: After
what has been mentioned, it is fitting that every Muslim, male and
female, take advantage of these days by obeying Allah, the Most
High, remembering Him, thanking Him, fulfilling all the obligatory
duties, and staying far away from the prohibited things. He must
take full advantage of this season, and the open display of Allah's
gifts, to attain the pleasure of his Lord.

Surely, Allah, the
Most High, is the One Who grants success, and He is the Guide to the
Straight Path. And may the blessings of Allah, the Most High, and
peace be upon Muhammad and his family and companions!

Islamic Terms:

Ghaira: A sense of
honour and prestige, and the anger caused by its being violated.
At-Takbeer al-Mutlaq: the Takbeer (Allahu Akbar) which is
unrestricted to specific times or any specific form.
At-Takbeer al-Muqayyad: The Takbeer which is done at a particular
time and in a specific manner.